The El Alamein War Museum
Military vehicles, tanks, weapons and photographs from World War II, with explanations of the two 1942 battles.
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Alexandria · Mediterranean coast, west of Alexandria
El Alamein: the War Museum and the War Cemeteries
The town on the Mediterranean coast where British and Axis armies fought two battles in 1942, with a war museum and the cemeteries and memorials of both sides.
About El Alamein War Museum and Cemeteries
El Alamein is a coastal town in northwestern Egypt, about 60 miles (100 km) west of Alexandria, where British and Axis forces fought two major battles in 1942. The British line there ran south from the sea to the Qattara Depression, which armies could not cross, and it marked the farthest point the German forces reached on their way to the Suez Canal.
After the war Britain, Germany and Italy built memorial cemeteries near the battlefield. The El Alamein War Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in Egypt, and the El Alamein War Museum nearby shows tanks, military vehicles, weapons and photographs from the two battles.
A short history
- First battle, July 1942Rommel's German and Italian forces reached the British line at El Alamein on June 30, 1942. General Claude Auchinleck counterattacked, and by mid-July the Axis drive on the Suez Canal had been stopped.
- Second battle, from October 23, 1942The British Eighth Army under General Bernard Montgomery attacked on October 23, 1942. By November 4 the Axis forces were in full retreat, and they were driven west out of Egypt into Libya.
- The costOver 26,000 Commonwealth soldiers were killed or wounded in the two battles, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
- The cemeteriesSir Hubert J. Worthington designed the Commonwealth cemetery, planned while the war was still being fought. Germany and Italy built their own memorials to the Axis dead near the battlefield.
What you'll see
The Commonwealth War Cemetery
Over 7,200 Commonwealth burials, 800 of them unidentified, from the whole Western Desert campaign. The Alamein Memorial at its gates names 12,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen with no known grave.
The German and Italian memorials
Two separate memorials to the German and the Italian soldiers of the Axis forces, which our tour visits after the Commonwealth cemetery.
Getting there and how the visit runs
Drive to the site
| From your Alexandria hotel | 107.6 km · about 1 h 35 min |
|---|---|
| From the cemeteries back to your hotel | 105.6 km · about 86 min |
Without traffic, from our tours' map routing
Our tour drives west along the Mediterranean coast from your Alexandria hotel. The War Museum comes first; the Commonwealth War Cemetery is 1 km away, a few minutes by car, and the German and Italian memorials follow. Entrance fees to the sites on the program are included; lunch is not.
Before you go
What to wear and bring
- Modest clothing
- Comfortable shoes for walking between the graves
Photos
- Photographing military sites is prohibited in Egypt
- Ask before photographing people
Average daily high in Alexandria (°C)
The coolest months are December to February.
World Meteorological Organization climate normals (monthly averages, not forecasts)
Questions about El Alamein War Museum and Cemeteries
How far is El Alamein from Alexandria?
About 60 miles (100 km) to the west. On our tour the drive from your Alexandria hotel to the War Museum is 107.6 km, about 1 h 35 min without traffic.
What happened at El Alamein?
Two battles in 1942. In July the British stopped the German and Italian advance on the Suez Canal; from October 23 the Eighth Army under Montgomery attacked, and by early November the Axis forces were retreating west out of Egypt.
How many soldiers are buried in the El Alamein War Cemetery?
Over 7,200 Commonwealth servicemen, 800 of them unidentified, per the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Another 12,000 with no known grave are named on the Alamein Memorial at its gates.
Who is buried in the cemetery?
Commonwealth servicemen who died throughout the Western Desert campaign, among them 1,107 New Zealanders, 495 South Africans, 198 men of the Indian Army and more than 30 Canadians.
Are there German and Italian memorials at El Alamein?
Yes. Germany and Italy each have a memorial to their soldiers near the battlefield, and our El Alamein tour visits both after the Commonwealth cemetery.
Are entrance fees included on your tour?
Yes, entrance fees to all the sites on the program are included. Lunch is optional and not included.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; World Meteorological Organization.
Day tours
Tours that stop at El Alamein War Museum and Cemeteries
Guides
Read before you go
El Alamein or Wadi El Natrun: which day from Alexandria?War museum and cemeteries or three Coptic monasteries: drives, stops and what each day includes.
Alexandria in a day: what the city tour coversSeven stops from the catacombs to Stanley Bridge, the drives between them and what the tour includes.
Egypt day tours by city: what you can do from each baseWhat you can do from each of our 8 bases, from the Giza pyramids to the Red Sea reefs.
What is included in an Egypt day tour, and what is notPickup, car, guide, tickets, lunch, tips and flights: what our day tours include and leave out.